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Steven Tyler to receive Humanitarian Award

Apple

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Steven Tyler is to receive a Humanitarian Award for raising awareness of victims of abuse.

The Aerosmith singer will be honoured by the Hospitality Committee for United Nations Delegations for his work with Youth Villages, supported by his charity Janie’s Fund, which aims to give a voice to women who suffer abuse and neglect.

He said: "As a father to three daughters, a son, and, now a grandfather, it broke my heart to learn that each year in America alone 700,000 children are victims of serious abuse or neglect and 68,000 will be sexually abused. All abuse is wrong – verbal, physical, sexual, emotional.

"We need to have better ways as parents to help our children and support them. Way too many kids are experiencing abuse, and we want to change that. Enough is enough.

"I personally know how addiction can fracture lives. I don’t wish that on anyone. To use my voice and the voices of many others to help these girls once again find their voice is my mission."

Whilst Mel Gee Henderson, the co-chair of the Hospitality Committee for United Nations Delegations (HCUND), added: "In choosing this year’s recipient, we searched diligently to find the humanitarian whose efforts are in harmony with the Secretary General, who will be saluted at this year’s Ambassadors’ Ball as his decade of UN leadership ends on December 31.

"We came to realise Steven Tyler is not only a gifted composer and musician with a great big voice but a soul with an even bigger heart who sincerely wants to help those suffering from the horrific pain of abuse."

Chairman Luz MacArthur praised Tyler for being able to "inspire millions".

She shared: "Tyler may seem an unexpected choice at first glance but the more we learned about Janie’s Fund, the more convinced we were that Tyler is the person who can genuinely affect and inspire millions to help in the fight against violence inflicted upon girls and women, not just in the United States but around the world."